The wait for Zion Williamson's return from a right hamstring strain continues with the New Orleans Pelicans announcing he will miss at least the next two weeks.

Williamson has not played since January 2 due to the injury, and the Pelicans have slipped down to 10th in the Western Conference with a 31-34 record in his absence.

The 2019 NBA Draft first overall pick suffered a setback on the injury on February 12, with the Pels offering an update on Wednesday following re-evaluation.

"Medical imaging revealed that Williamson's hamstring continues to heal," the Pelicans statement said. "His next examination will take place in approximately two weeks."

The Pels said last week in an update that Williamson "continues to make progress" but his absence has dragged on beyond two months.

New Orleans head coach Willie Green said on Wednesday he was "definitely optimistic" the center would return before the end of the regular season, which concludes on April 9.

"He's building his strength," Green said. "Doing some pool workouts. He can get on AlterG. He can get on the floor and spot shoot.

"He's progressing, but we're extremely mindful of the last time we got to six weeks and he wasn't quite ready. So we want to make sure we're mindful of that."

Williamson has battled injuries throughout his NBA career, missing the entire 2021-22 season due to a foot injury.

The two-time All-Star has played 29 of 65 games this season, averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists.